The Wayne Public Library of Wayne, NJ is the owner of the Wayne Discussion Blog. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate discussion of selected book titles and other library materials, for entertainment, enlightenment and educational purposes.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Water Your Mind Read

We invite you to join the 2010 Adult Summer Reading Program Fun!Summer Reading begins, Monday June 21, 2010 - No registration required.

All Wayne residents age 18 and up may read a book or listen to an audio book, write a brief review, and place the review in the Entry Form Fish Pond at the Reference Department's "Book Beach;" or blog about it below!

The more you enter, the more chances you have to win the Grand Prize of a $40* Barnes and Noble gift card goody package!(Winner chosen at random) Water Your Mind entry forms will be available at Book Beach. Also available at the Preakness Branch Library or can be printed off our website.

Here's What you need to do to blog about your book online!

1) Find a great book to read!2) Read it!3) Write a review or summary and tell us if you thought it Watered Your Mind! or Caused a Drought!

4)Scroll down just a bit.

5) Click on "Comments"6) Type in your Name, Library Card # and Phone number, book information and book summary. 7) Type in the Word Verification

8) Select Anonymous

9) Then Publish

10) Your review will not actually get published until it is reviewed/approved by our librarian. She will then print out your entry and place it in the Entry Form Fish Pond, and then remove your name, card number and phone number and publish it on our Book Discussion Blog. The more books you read and review or blog about, the closer you are to winning. Remember one winner will be chosen at random and winner will be notified on August 16, 2010!

Not at all the usual Alex Cross book. A very different type story- very well done- and in my opiion, one ofhis better books. While not non-fiction, it is historical fiction of a sad era in our country.

This first installment of Larsson's Millenium Trilogy was one of the best finds of the year. I was skeptical about the true merits of this book after the huge publicity and its time spent on the NYTimes bestsellers list (as most times, I find the books to be more sensational than good) but I was blown away by this psychological thriller. The first 100 pages are tedious and hard to get through, especially because of the family connections and history that needs to be remembered (and that can be quite confusing.) Yet, once the series of events are set in place, this is a very well-plotted, fast-paced, completely engrossing mystery thriller with hard-hitting political and social undertones addressing corruption, sexual harassment, domestic violence and the lack of transparency in "civilized" society. An absolute must-read!

Kleypas is one of my favorite romance authors and I've read all of her books. Out of the Hathaway Series, i can't say that this one was my favorite, but it was a good read nonetheless. A sweet story, charming heroine and pognant moments make this a delightful summer reading book!

This is my favorite installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by Ms. Ward. Rehvenge is one of the most mysterious characters throughout the series, and it was great to see him finally find love and redemption with a heroine who is as soft and loving as he is forbidding and dangerous. A very steamy love story with great plot, characters & foreshadows of the next installment. I absolutely loved it!

I've been following the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series for a long time now; and, I feel that Ms. Hamilton is running out of plot ideas. Through the progression of the series, there is a shift towards more sensational sex scenes than any real plot. There is only so much soft-core porn that any reader with a life can take! Halfway through this book I was falling asleep and skipping pages of sex scenes that I found overly trite and comical...I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers as it has some heavy themes...In one word-BORING!

Slow start, but quickly gets interesting. The characters are very likable and the romance is sweet and realistic. I love Beth, the heroine, for being a strong woman who won't let any man con her or get her down. And Neil, the hero, who is everything you would normally detest, but cannot help loving and rooting for in the end.

Compared to Julie Garwood's other contemporary novels, Sizzle lacked its namesake. There was no great drama/excitement/or any type of Sizzle in this book. The plot was muddled, the characters under-developed, and the chemistry between the two main characters was completely lackluster and forced. All in all, I would not recommend this book for a nice summer read. Stick to her historical novels which are so much better.

The continuation of the Millenium Trilogy is just as fast-paced and gripping as the first installment. The focus is now more on Lisbeth Salander and her past, which readers have been dying to discover about since the beginning of the series. She becomes involved in a sinister plot that leads to a double homicide, in which she is the prime suspect. This book tackles the subject of the justice system and its flaws in being able to support those that fall between the cracks. The ambiguous role of media as it relates to the justice system is also explored and condemned by Larsson. The reader finds herself siding not with the "respected" characters of authority- all of whom abuse the power and trust that is placed on them by society in order to exploit the weak- but with the completely misunderstood, awkward salander. Very thought-provoking!

This is not a novel that can be fun beach reading. Be warned! Barbery's novel is philosophical, thought-provoking, at times utterly charming and other times completely pretentious. While there are many beautiful thoughts and reflections by the dynamic characters, Barbery's overall tone of voice leaves me frustrated and wanting to tear out my hair. She has the terrible habit of ending a perfectly charming passage of prose with a completely unnecessary and vacuous statement such as "Art is beauty that never dies" or some such poetic attempt that leaves the reader wondering where that came from and frankly it sounds utterly pretentious. But that is my only complaint. The story is fresh, charming, and poignant. The characters steal into your hearts. The musings of Kant, Nietsche and other great thinkers are cleverly incorporated into the plot. The ending leaves you breathless.

It's not a very long book, nor very dense either. The language is simple, the plot is not too hard to follow. For all accounts, Cheri is what many would call a fun and easy read. Yet, what really makes this story enchanting is the multi-layered complexity of the characters. Colette has hit the bulls-eye with her interpretations of an aging woman's fears and insecurities clashing with the omnipotent vitality and rebellion of a charismatic young man. We see before our eyes the timeless tale of love between two completely different people with diverging paths; and Colette paints for us the true picture of the torment, angst and despair that follows the end of an "affaire"; a feeling that so many of us have felt, but have been unable to describe in such honest and endearing prose as Colette does. A heart-breaking story of a love that just wasn't enough- and of the journey that begins when it ends.

If you are into paranormal fiction, then this is a pretty interesting read. Gets a bit tedious and boring at parts where she is describing the technical aspects of the paranormal powers. Story is okay, but nothing special. Only good thing is that the characters are well-developed and likable for the most part.

This story about a middle aged couple who attend two weddings a year apart is very thought provoking and entertaining. The effect of our family of origin on our personalities is one the themes that caused me to reflect on my own personal history. Well-written, highly recommended!

The character Lisbeth Salander was wonderful but most of this novel was really about Mikael Blomkvist and a lot of his problems about an article about corporate goings-on that were fairly incomprehensible to me. Long parts of the book rambled on and were pretty boring but the exciting ending made up for them. Blomkvist and Salander were like opposites in personality but both were tireless and thorough investigators who combined to solve a big mystery.

I could not put this book down. The vampire legend is transposed onto a futuristic world in which life is barely sustained. What will save human existance is the question-resistance, or a merging, or hiding. This is a long book but it captures your attention and imagination. You honestly feel you are along for the ride with the characters. The emotional intensity is gripping.

Kelly Corrigan the author brings together 3 true stories of her life in exchange for gratification of raising her own children. She is writing to them, her children, through letters. It teaches you not to rush their childhood or motherhood.

Rita Morrone, a trial lawyer, defends the prime suspect at a murder case. The prime suspect is the judge who is the father of her fiance. The story builds into an exiting climax when you find out who the real murderer is. Lisa Scottoline wrote a suspensful mystery and I would read or listen to another of her works.

This book is non-fiction, written by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who visits Civil War battle sites in the South U.S. He discovers many southerners who cannot let go of the fact that they lost the "War Between the States" or the "War of Northern Aggression." Many participate in Civil War re-enactments, dressing in period costumes and living briefly in self-inflicted conditions of the time period.

Alan the main character loses his wife & his business all in 2-3 months. He decides to sell everything he owns and walk to Key West FL. On the way, he is trying to find himself. He never makes it, but learns alot along the way and he finds love again. Loved the book!

An interesting mystery concerning the adoption/foster care system where children are given up by parents who are unable to take care of them. Murder enters into the story, as well as romance. It is an easy read that does stimulate discussion regarding centers where parents can abandon their children safely with no questions asked.

Very good reference book filled with suggestions on what to eat for different ailments such as heart, arthritis etc. Best thing about the book is that you can put the advice to work very fast and easy.

A Californian cop who was fired for drinking on the job is hired to be Chief of Police in an east coast town, despite the fact that he is drunk at his interview. He takes the job and works out his marital issues which have exacerbated his drinking. The job involves 3 homicides, the Boston mob and a home-grown pseudo-military group. Entertaining, quick read. Very enjoyable!

This book was a disappointment as I usually enjoy her "Hunter" series. It was too long and repetitive to tell the story of Fang. She has another book in the series due out in the fall, but I almost hesitate to read it.

First, the title of this book has been changed from "The Perfect Wife" It was an interesting "quest" novel with good characters, but seems to be part of a series which is not identified. I read a previous book involving some of the characters ("The Virgin's Secret") but there was no indication of other related titles.

I thought I was reading a regency, but it turned out to be Georgian in setting. As the first in the series, it held my interst, but I felt it could have been tightened by less repetition of some of the same information. I don't think the characters were a fully developed as they could- and should- have been. If you like historicals, you might enjoy this one.

The author received the Pulitzer Prize for this novel, deservedly so. It is set in a town in Maine which is "owned" by the rich Whiting family. The story follows Miles, who manages the Empire Grill, and his family and the influence of the Whiting family on their lives. Extremely well-written and quite sad.

I thought that this was one of Mary Higgins Clarks better books. It's a great beach book- little thinking, but it holds your interest with a good "who done it!" The setting, in Bergen County, makes it interesting- all familiar places. A good read- I would recommend it!

Saw the movie years ago, but only remembered sketchy details. The book was an eye opener on the death penalty/life term debate, which still rages today. I liked her philosophy and reasoning and did not realize all she did for victims rights also. I'll bet this would have made for a lively discussion at a book club meeting!